Dear Bay Shore,
I hope you are enjoying your summer—I enjoyed a few weeks off, catching up on home issues, wedding plans for my eldest, and more. I am grateful to Pastor Chris and Pastor Mark’s services—yes, I watched but in my pajamas!
After vaccines became available to children 6 months and older, our Congregation Council approved to move to become a mask-affirming building beginning July 31. We also discussed and approved that we will require masks whenever the Milwaukee County Dashboard indicates that we are in the High Zone of Transmission.
So, what does all this mean?
Mask-affirming is a term used by the Wisconsin Council of Churches, and it means that our Bay Shore community here will allow our members and visitors to use their own discretion regarding mask wearing. But it also means that if someone does wear a mask, we will not question it, or share our reasons why we do or do not wear a mask with them directly or even indirectly with others. Masks in our current community are here for the foreseeable future. As a mask affirming congregation, we understand that this is more fluid than we like, but we will cope with it together and support each person’s individual decision.
Why July 31? The Council agreed to the July 31st date since by then, most children potentially could be completely vaccinated.
The Council also agreed with the WCC, CDC, and the Milwaukee County Health Department that the future is unknown and we need to be flexible. So, following guidelines that even our schools will use this fall—when we are in the High category for Transmission, regardless of vaccine status, we will wear masks indoors.
How will you know the status of mask wearing? Well, if you watch the news, or read the news—it’s something that is shared. But you can also see the dashboard here and it lets you know as well.
Milwaukee County COVID-19 Dashboard (arcgis.com)
Here is also a link to the CDC about the different levels.
COVID-19 Community Levels | CDC
Like you, I have been praying for this all to end. And prayer works, it does, but in this case, we can’t pray or wish the viruses away. More research shows that even vaccinated persons who get the COVID virus can suffer long time COVID symptoms. It is best to keep ourselves and our most vulnerable in mind as we follow the guidelines we currently have.
Personally, I will be wearing a mask more than not until after September 1. Pete and I both are up for our boosters then, and I can tell you—my COVID experience after Easter was no fun at all. Sick two weeks, and recovering for another two weeks—it wasn’t until mid-June that I felt back to pre-Easter days. I just can’t risk that loss of time again, with this new variant that is around. Did I mention I have a wedding this Fall??? So, I appreciate our mask affirming building. And I appreciate all of you in caring for one another, too. Please give thanks to our Council who carefully and prayerfully leads our congregation.
I am back this Sunday, and it’s a special one. We will celebrate a baptism and we will have a farewell time after worship to wish our dear friend, Jo Ellen Witt, Godspeed as she moves to be closer to her family. We also will hear music from Scott Cook. I don’t think we could add more to this Sunday if we tried. I hope to see you in person, but if not—join us online. I now personally know that pajamas on a Sunday—it’s pretty nice.
Blessings and peace,
Pastor Sarah